Jul. 24, 2012

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Democrats in Vermont have provided hallmark elections in the last two years for voters with a series of campaigns that have enlivened the political process and reminded all that democracy is far more relevant when candidates have the pluck to engage.

In 2010, five highly qualified Democrats ran for governor in the primary, ending with a nail-biting finale. This was as close to a dead heat as you could come among the entire group, with Peter Shumlin finally landing at the top a short distance ahead of Doug Racine. These five candidates participated in a long series of unique civil debates across the state unlike any seen in the last decade.

In autumn 2012, a relatively unknown newcomer stepped up and clinched the Democratic caucus vote after an initial tie with an experienced hand, state Sen. Tim Ashe, in an exciting vote for Burlington mayor. Miro Weinberger then went on to win a well-managed 2012 general election in a landslide against Republican Kurt Wright that returned the job to Democrats after a 30-year lapse.

Now comes T.J. Donovan in a third unique moment in political campaigning.

A run by an accomplished politician against an entrenched incumbent in the same party is a rarity. Once an office holder always the office holder is the rule of thumb until a decision is made to step away as a personal choice.

The campaign for attorney general has turned this rule topsy-turvy.

Last Saturday, the majority of the state Democratic Committee refused to give Bill Sorrell, the incumbent in the state attorney general’s campaign, a public sign that he is one of them. In part, the incumbent was considered not partisan enough to be considered a true Democrat.

This puts T.J. Donovan, state’s attorney for Chittenden County, in a highly competitive position. He arrived in the campaign as the decided underdog, taking on an incumbent with 15 years in his job who has the backing of establishment brokers that includes former governors Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin. Donovan has found momentum.

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Donovan began this heady chess game in spring after he announced his candidacy. He had beaten incumbent Sorrell to the punch in asking the state Democratic committee first to consider his nomination. The committee did, dubbing Donovan a true Democrat, quickly setting the tone for the competitive campaign to come. Sorrell was welcomed to come before the committee later to be anointed, too, as a worthy candidate.

On the Saturday the committee acted on this welcome, Sorrell was scheduled to attend a parade where he would woo potential grassroots voters rather than the partisan judges. He learned late in the week that the vote was occurring, chose to stick with the parade and instead sent a surrogate to the committee meeting.

He did not speak before the committee.

And then the news of the vote became the committee vote heard around the state.

Sorrell lost an important acknowledgement from his own political party.

“Stunning” was how state Sen. Phililp Baruth described the committee’s decision for a party to ignore an incumbent with such a trail of public service – seven terms.

T.J. Donovan had gone from upstart to having a real potential to dethrone a king.

The decision by the Democratic Committee does not sit well for Bill Sorrell – for the moment. It is a numbing experience to be ignored by your peers. That moment could change quickly as it often does in politics. The election is but five weeks away. This is the essential time when what a candidate says matters the most. And what needs to be said by Bill Sorrell must be the most convincing argument he has ever made.

The challenge is not, as a partisan committee would suggest, an issue of who is the true Democrat. These two candidates are clearly partisans. This is an issue of who works harder to win the job.

Voters in a primary election deserve a good choice among two smart candidates. This is the eal message of the summer campaign of 2012. The days of “hands off” the incumbent are over.